SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

Today is the 255th day of 2021 and the 85th day of summer.

TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1940, four teenagers discovered prehistoric paintings, estimated to be 15,000 to 17,000 years old, in a cave in Lascaux, France.

In 1953, Sen. John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts married Jaqueline Lee Bouvier in Newport, Rhode Island.

In 1992, Dr. Mae Carol Jemison, science mission specialist aboard the space shuttle Endeavour, became the first African American woman in space.

In 2011, the National September 11 Memorial opened to the public in New York City.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: H.L. Mencken (1880-1956), journalist/critic; Jesse Owens (1913-1980), Olympic athlete; Ian Holm (1931- 2020), actor; George Jones (1931-2013), singer-songwriter; Barry White (1944- 2003), singer-songwriter; Joe Pantoliano (1951- ), actor; Neil Peart (1952- 2020), musician; Hans Zimmer (1957- ), composer; Ben Folds (1966- ), singer-songwriter/musician; Paul F. Tompkins (1968- ), actor/comedian; Paul Walker (1973-2013), actor; Yao Ming (1980- ), basketball player; Jennifer Hudson (1981- ), actress/singer; Andrew Luck (1989- ), football player.

TODAY’S FACT: The long-running Western series “Bonanza” premiered on NBC on this day in 1959.

TODAY’S SPORTS: In 1984, Dwight “Doc” Gooden of the New York Mets threw his 246th strikeout, breaking the rookie record for strikeouts in a single season. He finished the season with 276, a record that still stands.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “The final test of truth is ridicule. Very few dogmas have ever faced it and survived.” -- H.L. Mencken

TODAY’S NUMBER: 76 -- bronze plates on the walls of the memorial pools at the September 11 Memorial and Museum, inscribed with 2,983 names: the 2,977 victims of the 9/11 terror attacks and the six victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

TODAY’S MOON: Between new moon (Sept. 6) and first quarter moon (Sept. 13).

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

Today is the 256th day of 2021 and the 86th day of summer.

TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1788, Congress chose New York City as the temporary federal capital.

In 1971, state police and National Guard soldiers stormed Attica Correctional Facility in New York, bringing a four-day riot to an end.

In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat signed the Oslo Accords.

In 2001, civilian air traffic resumed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

In 2007, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: Milton Hershey (1857- 1945), Hershey Co. founder; John Pershing (1860- 1948), U.S. Army general; Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941), author; Claudette Colbert (1903-1996), actress; Roald Dahl (1916- 1990), author; Mel Torme (1925-1999), singer/actor; Judith Martin (1938- ), “Miss Manners” columnist; Jean Smart (1951- ), actress; Anne Geddes (1956- ), photographer; Michael Johnson (1967- ), Olympic sprinter; Tyler Perry (1969- ), actor/ filmmaker; Fiona Apple (1977- ), singer; Niall Horan (1993- ), singer.

TODAY’S FACT: In 1948, Margaret Chase Smith was elected senator from Maine, becoming the first woman to serve in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

TODAY’S SPORTS: In 1970, Gary Muhrcke won the first New York City Marathon with a time of 2:31:38.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “The key to life when it gets tough is to keep moving. Just keep moving.” -- Tyler Perry

TODAY’S NUMBER: 70 million -- Hershey’s Kisses produced daily by the Hershey Co.

TODAY’S MOON: First quarter moon (Sept. 13).